Renewal of Wilson series brings back fond memories for new Reading coach

Troy Godinet and his Reading High Red Knights will be trying to wake up the echoes at Shirk Stadium Friday night.

The Red Knights play Wilson for the first time in a decade and will rekindle memories of one of the greatest football rivalries Berks has ever known.

In the early 2000’s, when Godinet was a linebacker at Reading, the Red Knights and Bulldogs played a fierce series of games as they battled for top dog status in Berks and in Section 1 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League.

As a senior Godinet was part of one of the greatest beatdowns the Bulldogs and their future NFL quarterback, Chad Henne, have ever absorbed. James Bryant and the Red Knights were relentless, pounding the Bulldogs 44-2 in West Lawn.

It was Wilson’s worst loss in over 50 years.

Even though Reading entered that Week 9 game with a perfect record Godinet and his teammates — several of whom are on his coaching staff now — felt overlooked.

“We knew we were a really good team and people were still doubting us for some reason,” said Reading’s first-year head coach. “We knew this was a game for us to make a statement.”

Friday’s game, at Shirk Stadium at 7, is another chance for the Red Knights to make a statement. They’re 2-1 and coming off back-to-back wins but few give them a chance to beat the Bulldogs (2-1) or compete for the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 title in their first year back in the league.

Wilson entered the season as a slight favorite over Manheim Township; Reading was picked for the bottom of the section, along with McCaskey.

The Red Knights have surprised, especially last week when they rallied from early 14-0 and 21-6 deficits to beat Red Lion 42-35. They have already surpassed their combined win total of the last two seasons.

Quarterback Amier Burdine has been sensational, running for over 100 yards in all three games. His basketball teammate, All-State guard Ruben Rodriguez, has been a revelation at wide receiver. The Rider hoops recruit caught three touchdown passes last week and has a dozen catches and four TDs.

“We know Ruben can be an X factor,” Godinet said. “He’s a super athlete. He just understands the competitive nature of sports. He goes out there and competes. He’s a natural-born leader and that’s what’s really helped our team the most. The young guys trust him and believe in him.”

The Bulldogs have grown up quickly. They couldn’t keep up with budding powerhouse Roman Catholic (now 3-0) in Week 1 but have improved the past two weeks. They won 17-10 at Central Dauphin in Week 2 and shut out Martin Luther King last week.

Cam Jones, moved to tailback to take over for injured Cleveland Harding, ran for four short TDs last week and for 122 yards the week before. He’s averaging 7.3 yards per carry.

Junior Tommy Hunsicker has settled in at quarterback; he was Wilson’s leading rusher last week and completed 11-of-18 passes.

Junior linebacker Ryan McMillan leads the defense with 17 tackles and has forced a pair of fumbles; senior safety Nate Capitano is third on the team in tackles and has a pair of interceptions.

Godinet has called his four seasons playing at Reading High, from 2000-03, the best years of his life and the games against Wilson were the among highlights. The Red Knights and Bulldogs split four games during Godinet’s years.

“There was always such a great amount of talent when we played each other,” he said of games that always featured Division I talent such as Henne (Michigan), Bryant (Miami), Sam Bryant (Pittsburgh), Andy Roland (Duke), Lamar Stewart (Penn State) and Kalise Cook (Villanova).

“You don’t see many high school football games where you’re playing in front of 10,000 people in a regular season game,” Godinet said, “and that was the case.”

Reading hasn’t played Wilson since 2013; it moved from the Lancaster-Lebanon League to the Berks Football League in 2010. The Red Knights haven’t had a win in the series since that unforgettable game in 2003, Al Wolski’s last season as Reading coach. The Bulldogs are riding a 10-game winning streak in the series.

Godinet and his coaching staff — which includes former teammates Sean Gaul, Jamie Laws, Roger Hall and Ian Mugar — are working to bring the glory days back to the Castle.

“We always talk about being Knight-blooded, of being proud that you played at Reading High, that you walked the halls at Reading High and that you played at Shirk Stadium,” he said. “(Playing) Wilson was always a big part of that. (Playing them again) just means a lot to our city, it means a lot to our alumni. We know it’s an opportunity for our kids to compete, to grow and get better.”